BSD Telescope

The Booneville School District telescope is a 24" Cassegrain Reflector that first saw service at the U.S. Naval base in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was designed in 1967 and commissioned in 1971.

Snapshots of the construction and dedication from 2001-2002

After being decommissioned, it was obtained by the Booneville School District through the help of Dr. David Powe of NASA. An appropriate domed observatory with an adjacent classroom was built and the telescope was dedicated on January 28th, 2002. Four officials from the U.S. Naval Observatory at Flagstaff, Arizona (Joe Hobart, Mike Divittorio, Steve Sell, and Dr. Connard Dahn) help direct the installation. At the time of installation, the telescope was the second largest telescope in the state and the only permently mounted scope located on a public school campus. Now, the telescope is open to the public on assigned nights throughout the Fall and Spring. To reserve a viewing time for your group, eMail Brad DeVaughn at bdevaughn@boonevilleschools.org.

Mr. DeVaughn teaching local Boy Scouts about the telescope and the planets

Mr. David Lamb gazing through the BSD telescope

Due to a faulty relay and a couple of wiring issues, the tracking system on the telescope had not worked properly for several years. Thanks to Mr. David Lamb, a talented and gracious amateur astronomer, the necessary repairs have been made and the telescope is now fully functional.

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